Pile-driving attachment for booms



v -Nov. 1, 1938. J. B. TEMPLETON 2,134,939

FILE DRIVING ATTACHMENT FOR BOOMS Filed May 11, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet l f 25 i v MM wv /0 lil 3 men Mon Skim/MM;

NOV. 1, 1938. TEMPLETON I 2,134,939

FILE DRIVING ATTACHMENT FGR BOOMS Filed May 11, 1936 5 Shets-Sheet 2 Jowv ZEMPLFTO/V Nov. 1, 1938. J. B. TEMPLETON FILE DRIVING ATTACHMENT FOR BOOMS Filed May 11, was a Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Nov. 1, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FILE-DRIVING ATTACHMENT FOR BOOMS John Templeton, Dallas, Tex. I Application May 11,1936, Serial No. 78,978

7 Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in pile driving attachments for booms.

One object of the invention is to provide an improved pile driving attachment which may be mounted on the outer end of the boom, the mounting being such that the attachment may undergo universal movement, whereby it may be readily swung to various positions and held at various angles to the perpendicular.

An important object of the invention is to provide an improved pile driving attachment which is connected directly'to the outer end of the boom and which may be'readily and easily placed in position for driving piles at any angle within a variable radius, whereby numerous piles may be' driven without moving the entire pile driver, which results in a great saving of time and labor. Another object of the invention is to provide a support in connection with the attachment which support is located at the lower end of the hammer guides, and carries the entire weight of the hammer guides, whereby the load isftaken off the lines, or other mounting for the guides.

A further object of the invention is to provide a support for the lower end of the hammer leads of the attachment, whereby the connection which secures the attachment to the end of the boom isrelieved of the load of said leads, said support being arranged so that the leads may be swung universally without interference from said attachment'in various positions in dotted lines,

Figure 2a is a front elevation of the same,

Figure 3 is a side elevation showing the attachmerit equipped with a supporting means at the lower end thereof,

Figure 4 is a front elevation of the attachment a portion of the boom,

Figure 5 is a view of the'upper portion of the parts shown in Figure 4 with the hammer in contact with the bars for lifting the guides,

Figure 6 is an enlarged'front elevation of the universal connection between the attachment and boom,

Figure 7 is a transverse, vertical sectional view, taken on the line 'l1 of Figure 6,

Figure 8 is a horizontal-cross-sectional view, taken on theline 8--8 of Figure 4,

Figure 8a is a horizontal, cross-sectional View, taken on the line 811-811 of Figure 4,

Figure 9 is a side elevation of the hammer guides and showing the support for the lower end of the attachment,

Figure 10 is a, horizontal, cross-sectional view, taken on the line IllII] of Figure 9,

Figure 11 is a vertical sectional view, taken the line I'I-II of Figure 9, and i 1 Figure ,12 is an enlarged transverse sectional view taken on the line I2-I2 of Figure 10, and

Figure 13 is an isometric view of the guides and support.

In the drawings, the numeral I0 designates an ordinary tractor crane and II the boom thereof. It is customary to equip these machines with a plurality of cable lines, A, B, and C. Ordinarily, the line A is used for supporting and raising and lowering the boom, while the lines B and C are used for work purposes. It has been the practice when a pile driver has been used to employ the line B to drag the piles into position and the line C to operate the hammer. A fourth line (not shown) was employed to elevate the pile driver guides and support the same while moving.

In carrying out the invention, .a universal swingable and rotatable connection I2 is mounted on the outer end of the boom. To provide a support for this connection, a transverse fulcrum plate I3 is attached to the upper end of the boom. A rocker block I4 is. attached to said plate and the lower portion of the block is semi-spherical in shape so as to rock on the plate. In order to retain the block in position, a tie-bolt I extends through the block and has its head countersunk in a sump I4. The lower end of the bolt passes through a downwardly flared opening I3 in the plate I 3 and upper end of the boom, and lock nuts i 6 on the lower end of said bolt support a washer I? below the opening. The bolt, permits a free universal swin'gable and rotatable movement of the block, but prevents its dislodgement from the fulcrum plate I 3. A saddle I8 is formed in the upper end of the block.

A supporting yoke or hanger 24 which is formed of a pair of spaced cylindrical legs 25 and a tubular connecting section or pipe 26 is supported'on theuniversal swingable and rotatable connection. The pipe 26 is seated within the saddle I8 of the.

guides (Figure 8).

block 14 and is held in place by U-bolts l9. Thus, it will be seen that the yoke or hanger is supported by the block which is universally swingable and rotatable on, and secured to the boom.

The depending legs 25 of the yoke telescope into the upper ends of tubular hammer guides 28. These guides are spaced apart and rigidly held in parallel relation by suitable members 29 spanning the same. The members may be Welded or otherwise secured to the guides, and are sufficiently spaced rearwardly from the guides to permit a free sliding movement of the hammer 3U vertically upon said guides. The hammer is provided with vertical recesses 33' along each side to receive said The hammer is controlled passes over one of the pulleys D carried by the boom. A pair of twin braces 3| are secured to the upper end of the guides 28 and are located in the path of the hammer. The hammer is free to slide up and down the guides, as is indicated in Figure 4, but when it is elevated so as to engage the braces, as shown in Figure 5, the guides 28 will be lifted on the legs 25 of the yoke-like hanger 24 telescoped therein. By this means, the attachmentmay be suspended as shown in Figure 1, and the boom ll swung to different positions, as is shown in Figures 2 and 2a. The universal swingable and rotatable connection l2 permits the guides to be swung to any angle and also to be rotated on their vertical axis, said guides being suspended from a single point. With such arrangement, it is possible to drive piles at any angle from the vertical.

When the guides have been positioned over the spot where it is desired to drive the pile, it is merely necessary to release the cable C, whereby the guides may be lowered until they rest upon the ground or other support. The telescopic con nection between the yoke-like hanger 24 and the guides 28 is an important feature of the device. It will be seen that the support for the guides may be below the plane on which the crane rests or at an elevation thereabove. For instance, the

tractor may rest on the ground while the guides may be positioned on an embankment above the ground or the tractor may rest on the ground and the guides lowered so as to rest upon the bottom of a ditch or footing. Further, the guides may be swung on their vertical axis, whereby said guides may be inclined so as to drive piles at any inclination desired. This is an important feature of the invention.

The guides are swingably connected to the end of the boom by the block l4 and tie-bolt I5, and

for this reason no guy ropes, props or braces are needed to hold the same in position. The block provides a fixed connection and when the lower ends of the guides rest on the ground, the guides are firmly held in operating position on their bottom support by the weight of said guides. Further, the guides may be inclined or placed at any angle for driving piles at a batter. The universal connection also eliminates the use of the guy lines which ordinarily support the guides.

For supporting the lower end of the hammer guides so as to take the load of the weight of said guides, a suitable supporting structure may be provided. This structure is clearly shown in Figures 9 to 13 and not only serves to carry the load but also provides afirm and stable foundation for the guides while the pile is being driven.

The structure includes an inverted bearing saddle 32 which rests on a transversely extending pipe section 33, or other cylindrical support. The

by the line C which pipe section rests on the ground. and it will be seen by observing Figure 12 that the bearing saddle is rotatable a limited distance therearound. A pair of transverse angle members 34 are welded, or otherwise secured, on the saddle 32 and are disposed in spaced relation. A second pair of angle bars 35 are secured together and extend downwardly between the spaced angle members and a pin 36 passes through the members 34 and bars 35, whereby a pivotal connection is had. A pair of horizontal angle bars 31 have their rear portions secured to the top of the bars 35, while their forward ends are fastened to the lower ends of the guides 28. Suitable inclined braces 31 further secure the angle bars 35 to the leads.

With the above arrangement it will be seen that the entire weight of the guides 28 is carried by the bearing saddle 32 which rests on the pipe section '33. The pivotal connection 36 between the angle members 34 and 35 permit the guides to be swung laterally in one direction, while the ratatable seating of the saddle 32 on'the pipe section 33 permits a swinging in the other lateral direction.

When it is desired to pull the lower end of the guides inwardly toward the tractor crane, it is only necessary to attach one of the cables to the saddle 32. The pipe section 33 may be provided with transverse openings 32', whereby a crowbar,

or similar tool, may be inserted, for rolling the pipe thus moving the guides. If it is desired to shift the lower end of the guides transversely without placing the weight thereof on the boom, a sheave 38 (Figure 9) may be mounted on the bearing saddle 32, and a cable 39 passed therearound. One end of the cable is secured to the hammer 30 while the other end is fastened to the outer end of the pipe section. By raising the hammer, it will be seen that the lower ends of the guides will be drawn toward the end of the section 33 to which the cable is attached, said guides swinging on the universal mounting at their upper end. The crane may then be revolved to align the boom with said guides.

It is pointed out that the support for the leads need not be mounted at the extreme lower end of the guides but could be mounted at any point therealong. It will be seen that the pipe section 33 could be supported some distance above the ground and the associate parts secured to the guides at a point therealong, and mounted on the section in the same way. This raising of the supporting means for the guides has been found particularly adaptable for use when the boom is mounted on a barge to permit :driving piles in water.

It is noted that although one type of universal connection is shown, any suitable type may be employed. The provision of the universal mounting at the upper end of the guides permits square piles to be driven with their faces in the same vertical plane (Figure 2) from a single position of the crane. The use of the structure which relieves the boom of the weight of the guides makes possiblethe use of a small crane and boom for heavier work. The pipe roller greatly facilitates spotting of the lower ends of the guides when accurate centering of the piles is required.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a pile driver attachment, in combination with a boom, a fulcrum plate secured on the outer end portion of the boom, a rocker block mounted universally swingable and rotatable on the upper side of said plate, and hammer guides carried at their upper ends by said rocker block whereby to be suspended from the boom.

2. In a pile driver attachment, in combination with a boom, a fulcrum plate mounted on the outer end portion of the boom, a rocker block mounted universally swingable and rotatable on the upper side of said plate, hammer guides carried at their upper ends by said rocker block whereby to be suspended from the boom, and means for supporting the guides in their working position whereby to relieve the load thereof, said means comprising a bearing saddle attached to the guides and an elongate transverse supporting member on which the saddle is adjustably engaged.

3. In a pile driver attachment, in combination with a boom, a pair of longitudinal hammer guides, a hanger slidably engaging the guides, universally swingable supporting means on the hanger for directly connecting the hanger to the boom, a hammer slidable between the guides, and means at the upper ends of the hammer guides in the path of the hammer for lifting the guides when the hammer is elevated to engage said means.

4. In a pile driver attachment, in combination with a boom, a pair of hammer guides, a yoke having a horizontal middle portion and a pair of depending leg members, the leg members being respectively slidably engaged with the upper portions of the hammer guides, and a support for the yoke comprising a rocker element to which the middle portion of the yoke is attached, said element being rotatably mounted on the outer end portion of the boom.

5. In a pile driver attachment for booms, a pair of longitudinal hammer guides, a hanger yoke having a pair of leg members telescoping the upper end portions of said guides, a fulcrum plate secured on the outer end of the boom, and a universally swingable and rotatable supporting member for said hanger yoke mounted on said fulcrum plate.

6. In a pile driver attachement for booms, a pair of longitudinal hammer guides, a hanger yoke having a pair of leg members telescoping the upper end portions of said guides, a hammer slidable between said guides lengthwise thereof, a fulcrum plate secured on the outer end of the boom, a universally swingable and rotatable supporting member for said hanger yoke mounted on said fulcrum plate,and a transverse member connecting the upper end portions of the hammer guides in the path of the hammer whereby to lift the guides when the hammer is lifted in engagement with said transverse connecting member.

7. In a pile driver attachment in combination with a boom, a pair of hammer guides supportedly carried at their upper end portions on the outer end of the boom for rotatable movement, and means for adjustably supporting said hammer guides in their working position so as to relieve the load on the boom and the upper support of the guides, said means comprising a supporting frame attached to the hammer guides, a saddle element pivotally mounted on said frame, and an elongate supporting roller element on which said saddle is rotatable and longitudinallv 'slidable.

JOHN B. TEMPLETON. 

